FUT refers to a hair transplant treatment,
follicular unit transplantation. This
process involves redistribution of naturally growing follicle groups from one
region of a scalp to an area that is thinning.
In
the past, hair was believed to grow as individual strands but, actually, scalp
hair grows in tiny little groups. Each
“follicular units” contains 1- 4 hairs.
A FUT procedure takes hair from an area of the scalp, usually the back
and sides, where hair is more resistant to balding and distributes it to an
area where balding is occurring. An FUT
transplant will take naturally occurring groups of 1, 2,3 or 4 strands and
insert them in area that lacks hair.
The
process can be completed in a session of 2 hours - 4 hours. After the scalp is anesthetized, strips of
tissue from the donor area are extracted and cut into individual follicular
units. The surgeon will make holes in
the scalp where the follicular units are needed and then strategically place
them.
FUT
is now a standard surgical treatment for anyone, male or female, suffering from
hair loss.
After
an initial consultation, your hair specialist will take a blood test to
determine the cause of hair loss, examine the area where follicular units can
be harvested, determine the amount of grafts needed to cover the balding area
and measure the skin elasticity.
2 weeks prior to
your appointment:
·
Stop
drinking alcohol
·
Stop
smoking
·
Stop taking
medicines that reduce blood coagulation
·
Do not take
Aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory medications
·
Do not use
Rogaine or take tryclc antidepressants, blood thinners, or MAO inhibitors
1 week prior to
your appointment:
·
Stop taking
multivitamins including vitamin B and vitamin E, as they will increase bleeding
·
Start
taking any supplements and begin any preoperative diet recommended by your
surgeon
·
Do not have
any permanents, hair coloring or hair relaxing procedures
·
Stock up on
frozen peas or similar vegetables so that you can have cold compress readily
available after surgery
One of the most
important advances that FUT has brought to the treatment of hair loss is simply
that it produces a more natural looking result.
The use of special stereomicroscopes enables hair surgeons to dissect
hair grafts more accurately and meticulously.
This helps preserve the integrity of the follicular units by keeping the
hair follicle in tact. The survival of
the graft is maximized which will result in healing of underlying skin and
growth of hair after it matures. FUT
method is simple and cost effective because it involves fewer incisions to the
scalp. A single strip may be used to
implant a large number of grafts, up to 5000 or more, allowing the patient to
cover larger sections of balding areas in one session.
In most patients,
the newly transplanted hair will fall out after 2- 4 weeks, but don’t be
discouraged, this is completely normal.
New fine hairs will appear 3-6 months post surgery, eventually, gaining
length and thickness. By the end of the
first year, the new hairs should be as robust as the other hairs and grow about
the same rate. The full cosmetic effect
of the transplant may not be evident for a full year. However, once the grafts have time to
mature, you will be rewarded with a younger version of yourself!
As with any
medical advice, make sure that your FUT treatment is carried out only by
experienced FUT specialists.
